September 2013 Visiting Teaching Message

The Visiting Teaching Message for September 2013 is on Self-Reliance, and focuses on being temporally and spiritually self-reliant.

Being self-reliant in and of itself is a good thing. We should desire to be a little more self-reliant and not be dependent on individuals or government programs to provide for us. However it’s when the desire to be so self– reliant makes you think it’s all up to you, and you don’t need God’s provision or help you run the risk of being under His condemnation.

One of the things the Mormon Church prides itself on is its food storage program. Church leaders counsel members to have an ample supply of food, water and other necessities. Ideally members are to begin by working on a three month supply of food storage items, then a year and then three years if possible.

Items are to be rotated regularly, and members must have a generous supply to feed and see to the needs each family member. The reason they feel they must store all this food and supplies is in case of disaster, any disaster. Mormons believe that one day they will have to live off of the food they stored away. They believe God has given them this special foreknowledge that no one else has, and they are ready and willing to do all they can to follow this command.

As a Mormon I wondered what would happen to all my food storage if my area was hit by a tornado, floods or if my house was destroyed by fire. I would lose all the money I invested in my food storage. I wonder how many Mormons have thought of that?

When it comes to spiritual self-reliance they believe this happens by being obedient to Mormon doctrine, partaking of the sacrament, “living the covenants” and remaining worthy of a temple recommend.

Again they are relying on their own works. They have no concept of what it means to rest in Jesus and trust in Him to meet our spiritual and temporally needs. As I thought about what I wanted to say in this article two verses stood out in my mind, they were:

Matthew 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

God is very much aware of our needs. He’s more than willing to help if we just go to Him, and ask.

2 Responses

I came across this website by accident – and just wanted to help correct a few of your inaccurate interpretations of this message above.

“One of the things the Mormon Church prides itself on is its food storage program. Church leaders counsel members to have an ample supply of food, water and other necessities. Ideally members are to begin by working on a three month supply of food storage items, then a year and then three years if possible.”

It is true the LDS church is available to help people weather a storm – quite literally – usually before FEMA and other agencies are able to marshall their forces – to serve their fellow man. I have never heard the Church say they “pride” themselves on this – other than they are glad to be able to do it. As for storage requirements – check the website – your numbers are out of date.

Next – “when it comes to spiritual self-reliance they believe this happens by being obedient to Mormon doctrine, partaking of the sacrament, “living the covenants” and remaining worthy of a temple recommend.

Again they are relying on their own works. They have no concept of what it means to rest in Jesus and trust in Him to meet our spiritual and temporally needs. As I thought about what I wanted to say in this article two verses stood out in my mind, they were”

Faith without works is dead. Some LDS members may rely on their works it is true – just as some in other faiths rely on thier faith without believing enough for action. It is true the Lord knows what we need before we ask – but he still wants us to ask. The principle of self-reliance is to do what we can for ourselves and trust in the Lord for the rest. The more self reliant we are – spritually and temporarily – the better we can serve our fellow man – and yest LDS members do believe that when we are in the service of our fellow men we are only in the service of our God

Third – “They believe God has given them this special foreknowledge that no one else has” – totally inaccurate. Where do you see that written? There may be some individuals that believe that – It definitely is not the doctrine of the church.

Hello Anonymous thank you for taking the time to comment on my article.

Who are you having faith in? If you don’t have faith in the right Jesus how can the Holy Spirit motivate you to do “good works”?

Romans 10:2-4 reads: “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (3) For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.(4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

This verse reminds me a lot of the Mormons. They love God, they love Jesus but it’s not the right one. They seem to want to do things the hard way and work for their own righteousness rather than the have the righteousness of Jesus imputed in them. (2 Cor 5:21, Gal 2:16)

I agree that we should be self-reliant but I’ve seen Mormons take it to the extreme, to where they’re more reliant on what they can do than trusting in what God can do.

As a Mormon I was taught that individuals are to gather all this storage in preparation for disasters, hard times and pretty much the end of the world. I was told that food storage was God’s blessing to us so that we His people would not suffer. Now you may have been taught something completely different, but that is what I learned about food storage.

At a October 2003 General Conference Gordon B. Hinckley said – “I do not predict any impending disaster. I hope that there will not be one. But prudence should govern our lives. Everyone who owns a home recognizes the need for fire insurance. We hope and pray that there will never be a fire. Nevertheless, we pay for insurance to cover such a catastrophe, should it occur. We ought to do the same with reference to family welfare. ”

I read that and I think he’s implying that people should be prepared for the end, but what is he saying to you?